Is your business infested with cockroaches?

Cockroach infestations should not be taken lightly.

Having these pests on your commercial premises can be severely damaging to your business and your reputation.  Cockroaches are transmitters of several diseases including salmonella. They can damage and contaminate foodstuffs and render stock unusable.

To ensure commercial businesses meet their public health and safety obligations the government has implemented regulatory standards that must be followed. These include the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (Restaurant Owners and Food Suppliers/Manufacturers/Handlers) and Fair Trading (Landlords and Strata Managers).

Handling a cockroach infestation on your own can be challenging and rarely can an infestation be resolved without the help of a Professional Pest Manager. Working with a Professional Pest Manager will ensure the infestation is dealt with efficiently whilst minimising the impact on your commercial operations.

Are you a victim of a cockroach infestation?

The level and seriousness of the cockroach infestation can often be estimated from identifying the signs associated with their activity. Signs can include:

• Live and dead cockroaches;
• Cockroach droppings;
• Faecal spotting/marks; and/or
• Egg cases.

Steps you can take to help keep your business free of a cockroach infestation

• At the first sign of cockroaches, call your local Flick Anticimex Pest Manager for assistance. All of our technicians are comprehensively trained to understand your business’s pest management requirements and will develop a tailor-made pest management program. To find your local Flick branch, click here.
• Regularly cleaned and Sanitised surfaces will minimise food sources for the cockroaches. The use of cleaning agents when cleaning surfaces (decontamination) will reduce the suitability for an infestation.
• To reduce food sources for cockroaches – Garbage bins should be tightly sealed and rubbish regularly removed
• Fix leaking taps/pipes and minimise pooling of water on surfaces
• Equipment should be located where possible above floor level to facilitate easy and thorough cleaning of floor surfaces.
• Seal all cracks, crevices and gaps around pipes where possible to reduce cockroach shelter and harbourage opportunities
• Conduct a regular check of incoming goods and stock rotation in order to minimise the likelihood of pest transfer and nesting sites.

For the PDF version of this post, click here.